The Election of 1860 and SECESSION [APUSH Review Unit 5 Topic 7] Period 5: 1844-1877

Introduction

  • Focus on the election of 1860 and its role in precipitating secession and the Civil War.

  • Review of previous discussions on the growing tension regarding slavery in the U.S.

The Election of 1860

  • Key Question: What were the effects of the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860?

Political Context

  • Republican Party performed well in midterm elections, increasing tensions among Southern Democrats.

  • Candidates:

    • Republican: Abraham Lincoln (ran on a free soil platform)

    • Democrats: Stephen Douglas (Northern Democrats) vs. John Breckinridge (Southern Democrats)

Republican Party and Free Soil Movement

  • Free Soil Movement: Sought to limit slavery's expansion into new territories, but not its abolition where it already existed.

  • Lincoln emphasized he would not interfere with slavery in the Southern states.

Democratic Party Division

  • Division between Northern Democrats wanting popular sovereignty and Southern Democrats wanting federal protection of slavery in new territories.

  • Unification issues within the Democratic Party weakened their electoral chances.

Election Outcome

  • Lincoln won 40% of the popular vote, but captured the electoral vote without Southern state support.

  • Southern response: Feeling politically threatened by Northern dominance.

Immediate Consequences of the Election

  • Feeling of insecurity led to South Carolina's secession from the Union in December 1860.

  • Followed by secession of six additional states in early 1861: Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana.

  • Other states: Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, North Carolina later seceded.

  • Formation of the Confederate States of America with a new Constitution supporting slavery.

Reasons for Secession

  • Two main competing perspectives on the reasons for Southern secession:

    • Protection of Slavery

    • States' Rights

Evidence from Confederate States

  • Each state drafted articles of secession detailing their reasons:

    • Texas:

      • Claimed dominance by a sectional party advocating racial equality.

      • Accused Republicans of seeking to abolish slavery and undermine the social order.

    • South Carolina:

      • Focused on violations of constitutional rights and Northern sympathies with antislavery principles.

      • Accused Republicans of waging war against slavery.

    • Mississippi:

      • Clearly stated their position was aligned with the institution of slavery.

Leadership Statements

  • Jefferson Davis (President of Confederacy): Did not mention slavery in inaugural speech.

  • Alexander Stephens (Vice President of Confederacy): Cornerstone Speech highlighted the Confederacy founded on white supremacy and the eternal institution of slavery.

Conclusion

  • The statements made by the Confederate states themselves reveal that the primary reason for secession was the protection of slavery.

  • Emphasis on studying the consequences of this pivotal election and further exploration in upcoming videos.